At Least it isn't Raining
by Dustbunny3
Summary: [One-shot][Gen] It's isn't raining, but that doesn't do Hanabi any good. Hinata might, if Hanabi wasn't more afraid of her than the thunder.


A/N: Originally written a few years ago for a webzine that never made it past the first issue. Live, learn and live on. I remember thinking at the time that I'd like to write more fic about Hinata and Hanabi, but never did. Go figure.

Set after Hinata becomes a genin, but before the Chuunin Exam.

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At least it isn't raining, Hanabi has heard people say, and it always brings a smile, however wry, to the face of the person saying it. Though she has been raised to heed the wisdom of her elders, she has never understood the sentiment herself.

Wind whistles a note that runs down her spine and she can see the flash of lightning from behind her eyelids. Hanabi squeezes her eyes so tightly shut that the lightning seems to encore, and then the thunder crashes. Curled up in bed, she pulls her blanket tight around her and buries her face into her pillow to hide her whimpers. She wants to pull the blanket up over her head and cower through the dry storm, but dares not; nothing can be hidden in the Hyuuga compound. As silly as the idea that someone is awake and spying on her is, it is still a possibility.

Thunder sounds again and Hanabi hopes that anyone who might see her shake will believe it's from the cold. Under the shriek of wind that follows, Hanabi hears something else, something that steals her breath; she hears floorboards creak. Her whole body goes tense and still, all her concentration turned towards the ever-nearing sound of footsteps. All her breath goes out in a rush and relief floods her as she realizes that these steps are no threat to her; they are hesitant and shuffling, more of a constant hiss than individual footfalls.

"Hinata," Hanabi says, flinching more at the quavering sound of her own voice than at the low rumble of thunder from outside. Sitting up in bed, she sees her sister standing hesitantly in the open doorway, twiddling her fingers. More controlled, she asks, "What is it?"

"I-"

Whether Hinata stops short or is cut off by the screech of lightning, Hanabi cannot be certain. Under the eye of her elder yet inferior sister, Hanabi sits ramrod straight and grits her teeth through the roar of thunder seconds later. Hinata hardly flinches, her gaze settled just below Hanabi's eye level. The thunder is still rumbling when Hinata finally looks Hanabi straight in the eye and says, hardly audible, "I'm afraid of the storm."

"What?" Mouth dry, Hanabi grips the edge of her blanket as if to keep it from running away. What is this?

"Th-the thunder scares me," Hinata says, and she's broken eye contact. She shuffles forward as carefully as if there might be mines hidden beneath the floorboards and continues, "I-I can't get t-to sleep. I was hoping that maybe I could... that I could sleep with you."

As Hinata grows closer, Hanabi grows tenser. What is this, she wonders again. She knows, _knows_ without even a shadow of doubt, that Hinata isn't afraid of thunder; the list of things that Hinata isn't afraid of is an easy one to manage indeed. But then could Hinata be taunting her? It isn't something Hanabi would think of Hinata, but she must remember Hanabi's fear from their mother sitting and soothing her through them back when the sisters shared a room together, back before Hanabi was old enough that such behavior was deemed intolerable.

"Hanabi?" Hinata asks in a whisper like leaves in a summer breeze that nonetheless carries, now standing within Hanabi's arm's reach.

Their gazes lock again, and this time Hinata holds steady. There is no malice in her eyes; instead there is nervousness and hope and... something soft, like comfort. Reassurance. Hinata takes another step forward and suddenly Hanabi understands; she hardly hears the thunder, is too numb to tremble. If anyone is watching they'll see Hinata in Hanabi's room, they'll see Hinata acting shamefully in the face of fear. But Hanabi knows better than that. She opens her mouth, unsure what she's going to say until she says it:

"No."

Hinata recoils, seems to shrink at the harsh tone of Hanabi's voice. She looks as though she's been slapped but she's _still standing there_.

"Wh-what?"

"I said _no_," Hanabi says, louder than she probably should be and a note of panic lurking around the edge of the words.

"I- Hanabi-" sputters Hinata, whatever is left of the confidence she came in with oozing out of her.

"Get _out_ of my room," Hanabi says, her voice muffled by another clap of thunder; she doesn't so much as twitch at the sound, but Hinata flinches and hunches her shoulders, shaking. The sight makes Hanabi shake herself, makes her angrier than she can account for. Her voice is high as she goes on, "How _dare_ you think I would enable such shameful behavior! And you're meant to be a proper shinobi now? No wonder your sensei had to come and speak with Father."

Hinata's lips are moving but there's no sound. Lightning illuminates the room and Hanabi can see the tears welling in her sister's eyes, stopping her next words in her throat. All the adrenaline rushing through her veins turns to ice; the windows rattle in the wind and Hanabi is rattling with them. Hinata's hurt is almost a tangible thing; Hanabi reaches out without really thinking, expecting to have a handful of it, and Hinata stumbles back as though thinking that Hanabi is about to strike her. She turns and flees the room, far more decisive than when she came in; Hanabi calls, "I'm sorry!" but the words are swallowed by the wind. Thunder claps again and she throws herself down on the bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin, closing her eyes tight and fighting against the part of her shrieking to go after her big sister. The low roll of thunder is like cruel laughter to her ears.

It still isn't raining, but this is of no comfort to Hanabi.

.

Praise appreciated, concrit treasured, flames raspberried.


End file.
